Conner Jay/The Jersey JournalA waitress at Margherita's on Washington Street in Hoboken passes the bill and some thank-you mints to a customer. A bogus waiter cheated the restaurant out of money by stealing a customer's payment.

A man pretending to be a waiter has cheated two Hoboken restaurants out of money by collecting checks and walking straight out the door, police told The Jersey Journal.

Conner Jay/The Jersey JournalMargherita's on Washington Street and Hobson's Choice on Hudson Street both reported the scam to Hoboken cops where a well-dressed man posed as a waiter and made off with payments.

Wearing a button-down dark blue or black shirt, a yellow tie and khaki pants, the spiky-haired 20-something pinched the first check at Hobson's Choice, 77 Hudson St., at about 7:20 p.m. Thursday, police told the paper.

The man approached two women who had recently received their bill and asked if they needed anything else before paying. The women said no and handed him $90 in cash, police said.

At about 9 p.m. the man went Margherita's Pizza and Cafe, at 740 Washington St., gave his name as "Steve," sat in the waiting area for about 20 minutes and then approached three women and asked them if they were ready to pay, police said.

"He took the money from them and walked straight out of the restaurant," said Anthony Buzzerio, a manager at the restaurant, told the Journal.

The women told cops they gave the man $96 for a $66 bill and expected change.